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Project Main Page Artist Bio Sponsorship Location
For immediate release Public Art Fund presents… Roy Lichtenstein at City Hall November 18, 2003 - October 2004 New York, New York (November 14, 2003) - The Public Art Fund is pleased to announce a major exhibition of four sculptures by American artist Roy Lichtenstein, an ambitious presentation that will be on view in Lower Manhattan's historic City Hall Park, City Hall, and the Department of Education, home of the newly developed City Hall Academy. Last year, the Public Art Fund organized the first exhibition of contemporary sculpture to appear in City Hall Park since 1992. "Roy Lichtenstein at City Hall" is made possible with the support of the Estate of Roy Lichtenstein and Forest City Ratner Companies. Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997) began making sculptural works in the early 1960's, just after his first exhibition of paintings at Leo Castelli Gallery. His earliest sculptures were renderings of utilitarian objects and mannequin style heads, both directly influenced by the representation of commercial techniques in his painting. As his career progressed, Lichtenstein's sculpture evolved with his painting. In the 1980's this convergence of media culminated in his monumental brushstroke sculptures. Evoking the movement and color of paint on canvas these, totem-like works suspend the artist's sweeping brushstrokes in midair, balancing one on top of the other in dynamic sculptural spectacles. The centerpiece of the exhibition is "Element E" from the artist's Five Brushstrokes (1983-1984), shown for the first time in its full-size version. More than 50 feet tall, this monumental sculpture of four colorful brushstrokes will stand dramatically in the Italianate rotunda at City Hall Academy in the Department of Education headquarters. "Element E" is a painter's action shot, portraying the moment when a brush is drawn across the canvas in remarkable three-dimensional form. "Element E" was fabricated by the Estate of Roy Lichtenstein for this special loan to the City Hall Academy. On view in City Hall Park are Brushstroke Group (1986) and Endless Drip (1995). These works display the signature colors and mirror-smooth finish of Lichtenstein's sculpture. Endless Drip wittily references Constantin Brancusi's Endless Column, one of the great Modernist sculptures of the 20th century. Lichtenstein's bronze bust, Woman: Sunlight, Moonlight is located in the lobby of City Hall. This work is uniquely two-sided: one side shows the darkened, moonlit face of a woman; the other, her face basked in sunlight. Central to the work is the figure's long, flowing hair, which, like the brushstroke, is a common Lichtenstein motif. About the Artist City Hall Park is bordered by Chambers Street, Broadway, Centre Street and Park Row. The City Hall Academy at the Department of Education (52 Chambers Street) and City Hall are generally closed to the public; for information about free guided art and architectural tours of both buildings, please call 311 for more information. The nearest subway stations are A, C, E to Chambers Street; 4, 5, 6 to Brooklyn Bridge - City Hall; N, R to City Hall; 2, 3 to Park Place. About Public Art Fund The Public Art Fund is a non-profit arts organization supported by generous gifts from individuals, foundations, and corporations, and with public funds from The New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency, and the City of New York Department of Cultural Affairs. About This Exhibition This presentation of "Roy Lichtenstein at City Hall" is made
possible through the cooperation of the City of New York, Michael R. Bloomberg,
Mayor; Department of Parks & Recreation, Adrian Benepe, Commissioner;
Department of Education, Joel I. Klein, Chancellor; and City of New York
Department of Cultural Affairs, Kate D. Levin, Commissioner.
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